Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe
Flash Player.

TODAY´S NEWS

Metlife to unveil more ads on 'planned-unplanned' theme

To predict the unpredictable is what everybody desires to do. Metlife Insurance in its new line up of campaigns is communicating just this - policies for the planned and the unplanned. While two films have been on air, the company plans to extend the campaign idea further and come up with more films by the second quarter.

As of now, four films have been produced on this theme out of which two have been on air. Associating the commercial with various instances in life, which are unforeseen, has retained the humour in it.

The one commercial which is on air shows the expectant couple making arrangements for the newborn, only to be surprised later with three newborns. The second film shows another situation where a retired grand father is faced with a situation involving his grandson and friends.

The commercials currently in the making also follow the same theme -'Things that we have planned for and a few surprises that we haven't planned for,' and for those unplanned surprises there is Metlife. Speaking on the upcoming TVCs, Gaurav Suri, Director, Marketing, Metlife, said, "The next two films also typify circumstances that people are faced with in their lives. The underlying message in all these TVCs supports our baseline, which captures the essence of the idea clearly: 'Metlife, 'Jo plan kiya uske liye, aur jo plan nahin kiya usle liye bhi'."

The creative was also executed innovatively. This is understandable, as Metlife had given the brief to McCann Erickson pretty unconventionally. Dileep Ashoka, GM and VP, McCann Erickson, Bangalore, said, "The brief from the client was extremely sharp and clear. They actually started out by asking us as individuals how we saw our financial future and then bit by bit took our plans apart by demonstrating how we had not actually planned for the unplanned! The direction became crystal clear."

On how the creative aspect was dealt, Tony Lawrence, Creative Director, McCann Erickson, Bangalore, said, "We decided to shake off the pall of gloom that always surrounds life insurance advertising. We just changed the idea that 'you need to worry if you are not prepared' to 'you have no need to worry if you are prepared'."

Interestingly, Metlife Insurance has always advertised the mother brand and not come up with product-specific ads. Asked on the reason, Suri said, "Research has shown that the level of consumer understanding of insurance is very limited, more so on product differentiation. The industry itself is in its nascent stage and there is very little consumer education. Hence our aim is not to confuse the consumer and just communicate subtly the message that the need for insurance should go beyond simply 'tax benefits'."